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Atlanta, GA | Posted: April 28, 2014
Phillip Taylor
Summary Sentence:
To ensure a smooth transition of leadership of one of its most important research programs, the School of Computer Science has selected Professor Dana Randall as the next director of the Algorithms and Randomness Center (ARC).
Full Summary:
No summary paragraph submitted.
Dana Randall - ProfileTo ensure a smooth transition of leadership of one of its most important research programs, the School of Computer Science has selected Professor Dana Randall as the next director of the Algorithms and Randomness Center (ARC).
Randall, the Advance Professor of Computing in the School of Computer Science, will succeed Professor Prasad Tetali as ARC director. Her appointment becomes effective May 15.
The center is charged with identifying problems with natural connections to algorithms and randomness. As part of this think tank, professors, researchers and students not only devise, extend and solidify theories of algorithms, they create practical solutions for scientists here at Georgia Tech and around the world.
“ARC has transformed research in algorithms and randomness at Georgia Tech by building bridges across units and centers, engaging in new industrial collaborations, providing alternative perspectives on projects across the campus, and engaging students and postdoctoral researchers in novel and impactful ways,” Randall said. “There are many opportunities for strengthening these connections, both internally and externally, as we move forward.”
Randall is a professor of theoretical computer science at Georgia Tech who studies randomized algorithms with her primary research focused on Markov chains. She also holds an adjunct appointment with the School of Mathematics.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Harvard and her doctorate in computer science from the University of California, Berkeley. She was a Sloan fellow and gave the 2009 AMS Arnold Ross Lecture at the Augusta National Science Center. In 2012, she became an inaugural fellow of the American Mathematical Society.
“We are extremely excited that Dana has agreed to lead the Algorithms and Randomness Center,” said Lance Fortnow, chair of the School of Computer Science. “Not only is Dana an excellent computer scientist and mathematician, she is an outstanding mentor through her work as the Advance Professor of Computing. We are lucky to have her take this new role.
“Dana is a recognized leader in the field of randomized algorithms where she has pioneered work in fast polynomial time algorithms with rigorous and provable performance guarantees,” said Zvi Galil, the dean of the College of Computing. “I am confident that she will effectively lead ARC in exciting and innovative directions.”
Randall expressed excitement about her new appointment but noted that past and continued successes at the center rests upon many people.
“We owe much gratitude to the founding ARC directors, Santosh Vempala and Prasad Tetali, for their excellent leadership and boundless energy, as well as the countless faculty and students who continue to contribute to the center's success,” she said.
